Hindi
films
have
often
depicted
rare
illnesses/disorders/disabilities...
Ghajini
[Anterograde
Amnesia],
PAA
[Progeria],
My
Name
Is
Khan
[Asperger
Syndrome],
Taare
Zameen
Par
[Dyslexia],
Black
[Alzheimer's],
Karthik
Calling
Karthik
[Schizophrenia],
Guzaarish
[Paraplegia].
Now
Ganesh
Acharya's
Angel
talks
of
Cerebral
Palsy.
Like
his
peers,
Acharya
isn't
merely
highlighting
a
disability.
Angel
is
primarily
a
love
story...
a
hatke
prem
kahani
in
filmi
lingo.
Love
can
happen
anytime,
anywhere,
to
anyone.
It
can
happen
to
people
who
have
arrived
at
the
sunset
of
their
life
and
also
to
those
with
serious
disabilities.
Though
we
talk
about
how
love
is
the
purest
emotion,
our
society,
very
often,
does
not
accept
love
when
it
doesn't
fit
into
our
perception
of
love.
To
cite
an
example,
love
between
an
elder
person
and
someone
half
his/her
age
or
love
between
members
of
the
same
sex
or
between
disabled
individuals
may
make
us
uncomfortable.
We
get
judgmental
at
times,
thinking
that
we
are
right,
while
others
-
those
who
don't
act
according
to
what
we
feel
is
right
-
are
labeled
as
rebels,
oddballs
and
misfits.
Angel
does
that.
It
goes
into
the
unconventional
zone,
depicting
a
love
story
between
a
social
misfit
and
a
woman
suffering
with
Cerebral
Palsy.
There's
talk
that
Angel
is
similar
to
Guzaarish.
It's
not.
Nor
is
it
similar
to
Sadma.
In
Guzaarish,
Hrithik
was
completely
paralyzed
below
his
neck,
while
Madalsa's
character
in
Angel
can
move
and
crawl.
The
fact
is
Angel
borrows
heavily
from
a
South
Korean
film
called
Oasis,
directed
by
the
acclaimed
Lee
Chang-dong.
In
fact,
if
you've
watched
Oasis
[it's
one
of
my
favorites],
it
has
the
quality
to
stay
fresh
in
your
memory
even
after
you've
watched
incalculable
films
subsequently.
But
Angel
fails
as
a
film
to
strike
a
chord.
The
subject
material
is
stunningly
bold-n-beautiful,
but
the
challenge
lies
in
implementing
it
with
conviction.
Ganesh
Acharya
had
handled
the
emotional
moments
with
flourish
in
his
directorial
debut
Swami,
but
he
doesn't
get
it
right
this
time.
He
had
an
opportunity
to
offer
a
convincing
vision
of
what
love
actually
means.
But
the
writing
lets
him
down
and
therefore,
Angel
doesn't
come
across
as
an
intriguing
human
drama.
The
delicate
love
story
lacks
the
sensitivity,
feeling,
compassion
and
understanding
it
deserves.
Final
word?
Angel
is
just
not
a
compelling
human
story!
Abhay
[Nilesh
Sahay]
flaunts
society's
rules,
unaware
of
or
unconcerned
with
the
consequences
of
his
actions.
After
serving
his
sentence
for
the
manslaughter
that
he
had
committed,
Abhay
decides
to
meet
the
family
members
of
the
deceased
man
and
apologize
for
his
reckless
act.
When
he
arrives
at
the
address,
he
finds
a
couple
moving
out
of
their
room,
handing
their
disabled
sister,
Sonal's
[Madalsa]
responsibility
to
a
caretaker
[Rakhi
Vijan].
Sonal
suffers
from
Cerebral
Palsy,
while
her
brother
and
sister-in-law
cash
on
her
disability.
Abhay
is
attracted
to
Sonal
and
leaves
behind
his
phone
number.
Sonal
calls
up
Abhay
one
night.
Slowly,
a
friendship
begins
to
blossom
between
Abhay
and
Sonal.
One
fateful
night,
Sonal's
brother
and
sister-in-law
catch
Abhay
and
Sonal
making
love.
Abhay
is
arrested
and
it's
up
to
Sonal
to
try
to
absolve
Abhay,
who
is
accused
of
raping
her.
The
world
is
against
them...
Angel
had
the
potential
to
move
you
with
a
compelling
love
story,
but
the
writing
is
amateurish,
while
the
execution
of
the
material
is
equally
childish.
There
are
gaping
holes
in
the
screenplay
and
one
wonders
how
it
was
okayed
in
the
first
place.
For
instance,
the
caretaker
is
never
around
when
Nilesh
visits
Madalsa.
StrAngely,
not
even
once
do
the
neighbors
living
in
this
busy
chawl
spot
Nilesh
taking
Madalsa
out
for
an
outing.
That's
not
all,
the
songs
are
like
the
unwanted
guests
here
that
pop
up
at
regular
intervals.
From
the
rustic
chawl,
the
lovers
suddenly
start
singing
songs
in
Switzerland
and
are
back
to
the
chawl
in
Mumbai
the
moment
the
song
ends.
The
climax
takes
the
cake.
It
is
most
hurried
and
looks
like
a
screenplay
of
convenience,
with
Nilesh
being
released
from
prison
and
cleared
of
rape
charges
so
easily.
The
music
doesn't
work,
except
for
the
title
track.
But
the
placement
of
songs
is
a
problem.
Cinematography
is
good.
Dialogue
are
below
the
mark.
Given
the
poor
script,
there's
not
much
the
lead
actors
can
really
do.
Madalsa
does
try
hard
and
so
does
Nilesh.
Both
make
a
sincere
attempt
and
the
earnestness
shows.
The
sole
sequence
which
really
appealed
to
me
is
when
Madalsa
feeds
Nilesh;
it's
a
touching
moment.
Aroona
Irani
is
as
usual.
Manoj
Joshi
is
loud.
Kishori
Shahane
Vij
doesn't
get
scope.
Rakhi
Vijan
is
passable.
On
the
whole,
Angel
fails
to
impress.
Director:
Ganesh
Acharya
Cast:
Nilesh
Sahay,
Maddalsa
Sharma,
Aruna
Irani,
Manoj
Joshi